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TL;DR: Through May 31, you can get Microsoft Office 2024 for Mac or PC for life for only $129.97.

Opens in a new window Credit: Microsoft Microsoft Office 2024 Home & Business for Mac or PC Lifetime License $129.97
$249.99 Save $120.02   Get Deal

Microsoft 365 costs $99.99 a year at minimum, and that bill never stops. Ever. Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business is the one-time alternative, giving you Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and OneNote for a single payment with no subscription attached, and a lifetime license is on sale for $129.97 right now (reg. $249.99).

Compared to older versions of Office, this one is a significant upgrade. Excel now handles large datasets and multiple open workbooks without the slowdowns older versions are known for, and the new dynamic arrays let formulas return multiple results across adjacent cells, which simplifies a lot of complex data work. AI Data Insights can analyze trends and suggest visualizations, so you’re not building every chart from scratch. PowerPoint can now record presentations with voice, video, and closed captions, which makes it useful for remote presentations and async communication. Word adds Focus Mode for distraction-free writing and Smart Compose for AI-assisted text suggestions. Outlook’s updated accessibility checker catches unclear formatting before it goes out.

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The suite runs directly on your Mac or PC, works offline, and doesn’t depend on a cloud connection to stay functional. Real-time co-authoring lets multiple people work on the same document simultaneously, and the built-in version history makes it easy to track changes or roll back to an earlier draft.

This version does have a few differences from Microsoft 365. Mostly, the app selection is more focused on the core productivity suite, and you don’t get the extra cloud storage. Considering how common and affordable cloud storage has become, that’s not a big loss.

Stop paying every year for software you can just own. Get a Microsoft Office 2024 Home and Business Lifetime License for $129.97.

Offer ends May 31 at 11:59 p.m. PT.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

The major standout feature of AdultFriendFinder isn't their millions of users or their free-wheeling stance on nudity, nor is it their massive, searchable database of kinks. What truly sets them apart, in fact, is their Live Action tab, where AFF users can communicate in real-time across webcams and chat rooms.

In this area of the site, accessible to both paying and non-paying members, users can communicate in real-time via both text and video, and things definitely get wild. Here are the four main sections of the Live Action tab, and what you need to know about them:

Opens in a new window Credit: AdultFriendFinder AdultFriendFinder   Learn More Member Webcams

The first of four sub-tabs, Member Webcams is the place AFF users go to let loose on camera, for an audience. The camera feeds appear in a grid format, organized in order of viewer count, and as with the on-site dating profiles, you'll be able to see, at a glance, who has a verified account or who is a paying member. Other details visible immediately include the model's age, gender and location.

If you can't find what you're looking for right away, you can start to apply filters: Men, Women, Couples, Trans, as well as Nude or Non-Nude. You can even use the Sort By button to arrange the models in order of their proximity to you.

Best of all? This entire section of the website is accessible to free accounts, although if you want to actually interact with the models, either via public-facing comments or by sending gifts or emoji reactions, you will need to upgrade your account.

SEE ALSO: AdultFriendFinder vs. Tinder: How they compare as hookup apps

And pro tip: if you come across a particularly attractive model or manage to have a good conversation with someone, click the Star icon in the upper right-hand corner of the webcam feed to Favorite them, which will make it easier to find their feed when they next come online. 

Pro Models

The Pro Models section resembles a bigger-budget version of the Member Webcams area, except instead of camming for the love of the experience or to make new connections, the Pro models are explicitly there to make a bug. 

Free users are able to view these cams, but if you want to chat, tip or engage a model in a private, one-on-one cam session, you'll need to pull out your credit card. 

To our mind, this is the least interesting part of the AFF Live Action experience, and the most transactional. Their Pro Models section doesn't offer anything that competing adult webcam sites don't, and most of the competition offers more models and a better interface.

Chat Rooms

If you're not necessarily looking for visual stimulation but happy to use your words to titillate, check out the Chat Rooms area. Here, you can enter into chat rooms based around specific interests and topics, or look to join a regional chat room based in your country or state. 

SEE ALSO: Confide is shutting down — could AdultFriendFinder be the best sexting alternative?

While words, stories, and shared experiences form the basis of this section, people often do also share photos. Best of all, there are very few restrictions on non-paying members in these areas, so you can build a following or interact with other people without having to create a paid subscription. 

Activity Feed

The Activity Feed is the fastest way to catch up on what's trending on the site, usually populated by new images and videos uploaded by members. The default view is Global, showing you the hottest content from members across the world, but you can also sort by Near You to find more local posts, or even restrict the list to your Friends & Hotlist, helping you keep up with what your mutual friends or followers are doing on the site. 

TL;DR: Live stream Mexico vs. Australia in a 2026 International Friendly for free on Canal 5 Televisa. Access this free streaming site from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 World Cup is right around the corner, so Mexico vs. Australia takes on greater significance as both teams look to build momentum before the start of the tournament. A defeat here doesn't really mean anything, but it's all about confidence building before that all-important first group-stage game.

If you want to watch Mexico vs. Australia in a 2026 International Friendly for free from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is Mexico vs. Australia?

Mexico vs. Australia kicks off at 9 p.m. ET on May 30. This fixture takes place at the Rose Bowl Stadium.

How to watch Mexico vs. Australia for free

Mexico vs. Australia is available to live stream for free on Canal 5 Televisa.

Canal 5 Televisa is geo-restricted to Mexico, but anyone can access this free streaming service with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Mexico, meaning you can access free live streams on Canal 5 Televisa from anywhere in the world.

Lve stream Mexico vs. Australia for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Mexico

4. Visit Canal 5 Televisa

5. Stream Mexico vs. Australia for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch Mexico vs. Australia without actually spending anything. This clearly isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream select games before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming sites from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for Canal 5 Televisa?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on Canal 5 Televisa, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Mexico

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to eight simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Mexico vs. Australia for free with ExpressVPN.

Dark closets and creepy attics are all very well and good, but after you've seen Backrooms you'll know that cavernous, office-like spaces have the power to be just as unnerving.

Kane Parsons' movie, which is based on his series of YouTube shorts, which was in turn inspired by a 4chan creepypasta, takes us into a nightmarish other world that plays with the eerie concept of liminal space.

But what exactly is the liminal space the characters encounter? Where does it come from? What, if anything, does it want? We've broken down the ending of Backrooms below, along with some theories.

SEE ALSO: The best horror movies of 2025, and where to watch them What is Backrooms about? Credit: A24

Clark (Chiwetel Ejiofor), an aspiring architect turned furniture shop owner, is trying to manage his drinking problem and process his recent separation through sessions with his therapist, Mary (Renate Reinsve).

Due to his separation, he's been sleeping on the floor of his shop. Clark quickly notices that the store's lights flicker on and off after dark. One night, when he's investigating down on the basement level, he spots a thin slither of light that appears to shine through the wall. This turns out to be a doorway to another dimension — the titular Backrooms, which are made up of misshapen and cavernous rooms that appear to stretch on and on... and which may well be occupied.

It's a disturbing concept, but Clark does the only thing a good horror protagonist can: He starts aggressively exploring despite multiple good reasons to leave the doorway well alone.

What happens at the end of Backrooms? Credit: A24

Clark tells his therapist about the discovery before drafting two of his employees, Kat (Lukita Maxwell) and Bobby (Finn Bennett), to go on a mission with him. He wants them to film a journey into the Backrooms as a kind of proof for Mary, who he rightfully suspects doesn't believe him. But that mission soon goes badly wrong, with Bobby being dragged through a doorway by something unseen and Kat and Clark becoming separated.

While running through a maze of rooms, Clark encounters a lurching woman with a misshapen face, before putting down his camera when he hears Kat calling to him through a wall. The camera is picked up by something unseen, and Clark's fate is left undetermined — until we switch to Mary's perspective as she follows his trail of breadcrumbs and finds the doorway herself.

Inside the Backrooms, Mary is attacked by Clark and wakes bound to a chair. He's sitting at a table with her alongside three other creatures that look like misshapen people. Clark explains to her that the Backrooms is "everything that ever was," and that the distorted man sitting at the table next to him is like a copy, or a memory, of a person that exists somewhere in the real world. Their conversation is interrupted by another creature that comes lurching into the room; it's a giant, distorted version of Clark dressed as the pirate mascot of his store. It kills Clark and chases Mary, who runs into some men in biohazard suits while trying to escape.

The final scene of the movie sees Mary sitting down opposite a scientist (Mark Duplass), who hints that he and a large team are working full-time to try to understand what the Backrooms are. Just before the credits, we jump back to the other world, where a misshapen version of Mary sits alone in an empty room.

So, what exactly is the world beyond the door? Credit: A24

Okay, let's start with what it's not. Although the Backrooms seems be created — or at least influenced — by the experiences and memories of those who encounter it, the place isn't just a psychological figment of the imagination. It's a real world, as is evidenced by the scientists exploring and mapping it out.

The place also isn't a kind of hell or purgatory, at least in the literal sense. Director Kane Parsons confirmed this during an A24 podcast with producer and horror legend James Wan.

"It's a maze-like world that doesn't have an inherent point to it. And I think the idea, what I always appreciated, is it's just described like it's a natural phenomenon. There's nothing, like, spiritual, or there's not morality to it," says Parsons. "It's not hell, it's not even like purgatory because you don't do anything to end up there."

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed.

Parsons goes on to describe the Backrooms as "playing into the feeling of getting stuck in a video game."

This segment from the interview offers our best clue into what the world really is, meaning a naturally occurring alternate dimension. It can change and grow, expanding and adapting to its environment in a way that's reminiscent of artificial intelligence.

Backrooms is in theaters now.

First, we had inflation. Then came the Trump tariffs. Now, it's RAMageddon, the memory-related price hikes affecting laptops, smartphones, gaming consoles, and any product that requires memory. And if that wasn’t bad enough, fuel prices are going up because of the Iran conflict.

In the post-COVID era, the price increases have been relentless, and supply chain experts told Mashable the global memory crisis will get worse before it gets better.

RAMageddon also has a simple explanation: the AI industry. "It’s definitely the AI industry and the demand for AI rollouts that's driving this," Jitesh Ubrani, a research manager with the International Data Corporation, told Mashable.

"The memory supply will remain tight from a device's perspective for the remainder of 2026 and well into 2027," Ubrani said. "We will see some alleviation in 2028, but keep in mind that prices will continue to rise throughout. And even in 2028, assuming this new [memory] capacity comes online and is able to provide some alleviation, we don't see device prices dropping significantly."

AI-generated image. Credit: Mashable

So, could consumers weary of price increases ultimately sour on the AI industry?

"I do think there is a backlash risk," said Tinglong Dai, a professor with the John Hopkins Carey Business School. "People may not care about memory supply chains in the abstract, but they do care when laptops, phones, and gaming PCs get more expensive. That kind of price frustration can turn a vague discomfort with AI into something much more concrete."

Dai warned that Big Tech may be blind to the potential backlash.

"I'm not sure AI leaders fully appreciate that risk. Jensen Huang calling the scarcity 'fantastic for us' may be true from NVIDIA's standpoint, but it is exactly the kind of quote that can look terrible in a policy debate. I do not think the main risk is a consumer boycott. Most AI infrastructure companies do not sell directly to consumers. The bigger risk is that policymakers in Seoul, Brussels, and eventually Washington decide AI infrastructure needs to be taxed, rationed, or regulated more aggressively."

Economist and author Shawn DuBravac also told Mashable that "AI and data centers should be worried about backlash generally." He added, "Memory prices are just one part of a much bigger narrative about consumer perception of AI and data centers."

Mashable reached out to Anthropic, Google, and OpenAI for comment on recent price increases; they all declined to answer.

Tech price increases so far this year

Tech prices vary based on a product's configuration. That means Microsoft Surface and Dell XPS 14 laptops don't have a single price. The processor, graphics card, RAM, and storage all affect pricing, and retailer pricing also varies. In compiling this list, we looked at announcements from device manufacturers, our previous reporting, reporting from other tech sites, and the Wayback Machine.

The prices in this guide are representative of price increases as of May 28, 2026. Prices can vary by retailer and date.

• Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 — Prices increased up to $150 in May

• Acer Predator Helios — Prices increased $125 to $200 year over year

• Asus — Announced general price increases starting Jan. 5, with laptop prices increasing $150 to $300

• Dell — Business Insider reported that Dell was increasing commercial laptop and PC prices up to 30 percent beginning in December 2025 due to higher RAM costs

• Dell XPS 14 — Starting prices increased from $1,599.99 to $1,899.99 in May

• Fortnite V-Bucks — Starting in March, $8.99 will only buy players 800 V-Bucks, compared to 1,000 previously

• Framework DDR5 — A 1 x 8GB DDR5-5600 module from Framework increased from $40 to $160 year over year

• MSI — In March, MSI announced plans to increase prices of gaming products from 15 to 30 percent due to the RAM shortage

• Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 — Prices increased up to $250 year over year

• Lenovo Legion Go 2 — Prices increased from $300 to $650 and up this year (the 2TB configuration briefly soared from $1,370 to $2,849.99, a 92 percent increase, per PCMag)

• Lenovo Legion Tower 5 Desktop — Prices increased up to $220 year over year

• Lenovo LOQ Gaming Laptop — Prices increased up to $179 year over year

• HP — In February, HP confirmed it was increasing prices across the board due to a 100 percent increase in memory costs, with increases varying by product and country

• Microsoft Surface Laptops — Prices increased $100 to $500 in April

• Motorola Moto G — Price increased from $200 to $300 in April, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Moto G Play — Price increased from $180 to $250 in April, a $70 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Moto G Power — Price increased from $300 to $400 in April, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Moto G Stylus — Price increased from $400 to $500 in April, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Razr (2026) — Price increased from $699.99 to $799.99 in May, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Razr Plus (2026) — Price increased from $999.99 to $1,099.99 in May, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Motorola Razr Ultra (2026) — Price increased from $1,299 to $1,499.99 in May, a $200 increase over the 2025 version

• Nintendo Switch 2 — Prices increasing from $449.99 to $499.99 on Sept. 1

• Oura Ring 5 — The new smart ring costs $50 more than the Oura Ring 4

• PlayStation 5 (Disc Edition) — Prices increased from $499.99 to $649.99 on April 2

• PlayStation 5 (Digital Edition) — Prices increased from $449.99 to $599.99 on April 2

• PlayStation 5 Pro — Prices increased from $699.99 to $899.99 on April 2

• Samsung Galaxy S26 — Price increased from $800 to $900 in March, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Samsung Galaxy S26+ — Price increased from $1,000 to $1,100 in March, a $100 increase over the 2025 version

• Steam Deck OLED — Prices increased from $240 to $300 in May

Based on this sampling of products, the price of gaming consoles has increased 32.77 percent on average in 2026. Phone and laptop prices have increased on average 23.27 percent and 25.27 percent, respectively.

Some of the products listed in this article are new versions of products from 2025. Sometimes, brands offer slightly different specs, such as more or less memory, along with a price increase. In these cases, we've looked at the lowest starting price for the new model.

According to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple is especially known for softening the blow of price increases by offering consumers more memory.

This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Streaming app price increases in 2026

Streaming apps are also getting more expensive, for a variety of reasons. On top of that, streaming services are also showing more ads to users.

AI-generated image. Credit: Mashable

• Amazon Music Unlimited — Individual plans rose from $10.99 to $12.99 (or $11.99 for Prime members) in February

• Amazon Prime (Ad-Free "Ultra" Tier) — The monthly surcharge to remove ads increased from $2.99 to $4.99 in April

• Crunchyroll (Fan Tier) — Increased from $7.99 to $9.99 in February

• Netflix (Standard Plan) — Increased from $15.49 to $19.99 in March

• Netflix (Ad-Supported Plan) — Increased from $7.99 to $8.99 in March

• Spotify Premium (Individual) — Increased from $11.99 to $12.99 in February

• Paramount+ (Essential) — Increased from $8 to $9 per month in January

• Paramount+ (Premium) — Increased from $12.99 to $13.99 in January

• Plex (Lifetime Pass) — Increasing from $250 to $749.99 in July

• YouTube Premium — Increased from $13.99 to $15.99 in April

Bellwether products

Gas and delivery costs are also going up in 2026, putting even more upward pressure on tech prices.

• Gasoline — The price of gas increased from $3.164 per gallon to $4.426 year over year, per AAA

• Crude oil — The cost of oil increased from $59 per barrel in May 2025 to a peak of $113 this month (currently $93 per barrel)

• FedEx — FedEx implemented a 20-25 cents per pound import demand surcharge starting May 7

• UPS — UPS is charging a $ 0.32-per-pound surge emergency fee for most international shipments and a $ 1.34-per-pound surge fee for shipments to and from the Middle East

When will shoppers get some relief?

We put this question to experts on economics and the tech industry. In general, they were skeptical that prices will come down to pre-crisis levels.

"I'm sure you remember the time we used to pay less than $1,000 for a phone, right?" asked Urbani. "Yeah, that's never going to happen again."

However, Willy Shih, a supply chain expert and professor at the Harvard Business School, said that in hyper-competitive markets, brands may have to lower prices eventually.

"For things like consumer PCs, that’s a pretty competitive space, so if you’re a company that tries to keep prices high and capture more profit, your competitors will undercut you and gain market share, so I think companies will largely have to pass on savings," Shih said. "Some might try to sell you more memory at the same price. But DRAMs are a globally priced commodity (just like oil!), so it will be hard to not pass on savings."

Ultimately, tech supply chain experts say the market will adapt, and the memory crisis will end.

"Component shortages do get resolved eventually," said Ubrani. "While I expect this one to last longer than many probably expect, eventually supply will catch up with demand or demand will slow. Component prices will eventually come down. Though it will likely take a little more time for those price declines to materialize into lower consumer prices."

However, Professor Dai also said he doesn't expect prices to come back down.

"Companies are quick to pass higher costs along, but slower to pass savings back. More likely, consumers will see more RAM at the same price point, or worse specs in the lower tiers, rather than cheaper laptops," Dai said.

Disclosure: PCMag and Mashable are both owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.

Disclosure: Ziff Davis, Mashable’s parent company, in April 2025 filed a lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.

Is it any surprise that young people often forget Father's Day? There are just so many distractions at this time of year. Seriously, whose bright idea it was to cram Father's Day between graduation and dance recital season?

No need to panic though, even if you've left it to the very last minute (just to be clear, Father's Day is on June 21) — dads and father figures don't have to miss out. We've handpicked a selection of last-minute Father's Day gifts — from subscriptions that keep on giving and digital gifts to physical items that will ship overnight — so he'll never know you (almost) forgot his big day. Indeed, there's zero excuse to show up empty-handed.

Take a deep breath and scroll through these last-minute gift ideas for Father’s Day 2026.

TL;DR: Watch Switzerland vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free on IIHF.TV. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships are slowly reaching their dramatic conclusion. Switzerland vs. Norway meet in the first semi-final matchup, and it looks like a really difficult one to predict.

If you're interested in watching the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships from anywhere in the world, we've got all the information you need.

When is Switzerland vs. Norway?

Switzerland vs. Norway in the 2026 IIHF World Championships starts at 9:20 a.m. ET on May 30. This fixture takes place at the Swiss Life Arena.

How to watch Switzerland vs. Norway for free

Switzerland vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships is available to live stream for free on IIHF.TV.

IIHF.TV is not available in some locations due to regional broadcasting restrictions (blocked locations listed here), but anyone can secure access with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in a location with access, meaning you can stream the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free by following these simple steps:

1. Sign up for a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in a location with access

4. Connect to IIHF.TV

5. Watch the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.99 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but they do tend to offer pretty generous money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can watch the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships without committing with your cash. This is obviously not a long-term strategy, but it gives you enough time to stream Switzerland vs. Norway plus every other fixture before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to free streaming platforms from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for the Ice Hockey World Championships?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for streaming live sport on free platforms, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream Switzerland vs. Norway in the 2026 Ice Hockey World Championships for free with ExpressVPN.

If you like playing daily word games like Wordle, then Hurdle is a great game to add to your routine.

There are five rounds to the game. The first round sees you trying to guess the word, with correct, misplaced, and incorrect letters shown in each guess. If you guess the correct answer, it'll take you to the next hurdle, providing the answer to the last hurdle as your first guess. This can give you several clues or none, depending on the words. For the final hurdle, every correct answer from previous hurdles is shown, with correct and misplaced letters clearly shown.

An important note is that the number of times a letter is highlighted from previous guesses does necessarily indicate the number of times that letter appears in the final hurdle.

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

If you find yourself stuck at any step of today's Hurdle, don't worry! We have you covered.

SEE ALSO: Hurdle: Everything you need to know to find the answers Hurdle Word 1 hint

A card.

SEE ALSO: Apple’s new M3 MacBook Air is $300 off at Amazon. And yes, I’m tempted. Hurdle Word 1 answer

SPADE

Hurdle Word 2 hint

Kentucky has a big one.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 30, 2026 Hurdle Word 2 Answer

DERBY

Mashable 101 Fan Fave: Nominate your favorite creators today

Hurdle Word 3 hint

Goo.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 30 SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 30, 2026 Hurdle Word 3 answer

SLIME

Hurdle Word 4 hint

A songbird.

Hurdle Word 4 answer

FINCH

Final Hurdle hint

Foundation.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Games available on Mashable Hurdle Word 5 answer

FLOOR

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Tomorrow is the Full Moon, and it's also a monthly Blue Moon, the occurrence of two Full Moons within one month.

What is today’s Moon phase?

As of Saturday, May 30, the Moon phase is Waxing Gibbous. Tonight, 99% of the moon will be be lit up, according to NASA's Daily Moon Guide.

Tonight, with just your naked eye, you'll be able to spot the Mare Vaporum, Aristarchus Plateau, and the Mare Fecunditatis. If you have binoculars you'll also be able to catch a glimpse of the Mare Frigoris, Apennine Mountains, and the Clavius Crater. Finally, if you really want to see more, a telescope will help you see the Apollo 12 and 17 landing spots, and the Rima Ariadaeus.

When is the next Full Moon?

There are two Full Moons in May, with the next due to take place on May 31.

What are Moon phases?

According to NASA, the Moon takes around 29.5 days to orbit Earth, passing through a repeating pattern of eight distinct phases. Although the same side of the Moon always faces Earth, the portion illuminated by the Sun changes as it moves around the planet. This is what creates the different shapes we see in the night sky, from thin crescents to half Moons and the full Moon. Together, these phases form the lunar cycle:

New Moon - The Moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (in other words, it's invisible to the eye).

Waxing Crescent - A small sliver of light appears on the right side (Northern Hemisphere).

First Quarter - Half of the Moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-Moon.

Waxing Gibbous - More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

Full Moon - The whole face of the Moon is illuminated and fully visible.

Waning Gibbous - The Moon starts losing light on the right side. (Northern Hemisphere)

Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) - Another half-Moon, but now the left side is lit.

Waning Crescent - A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

May is an exciting month for Moon watchers, as it features two Full Moons instead of the usual one. The first occurred on May 1, the Flower Moon, and the second is set to appear on May 31.

When a month contains two Full Moons, the second one is known as a “Blue Moon." Don't worry, you're not going to look up and see a literal blue colored moon in the sky, the name just refers to its rarity.

Intrigued? Keep reading to find out more about the second of this month’s Full Moons.

When is the May full moon?

The Full Moon will occur on Sunday, May 31. Time and Date estimates it will peak at 4:45 a.m. ET.

What is the May full moon called?

This Moon is simply known as a Blue Moon, perhaps a nod to the famous saying...

These occur when there are two Full Moons in the same month. Because the lunar cycle is just under 30 days, the timing occasionally lines up like this, with one Full Moon at the start of the month and another at the end. It’s fairly rare, only coming around every couple of years, NASA says. This is known as a monthly Blue Moon.

There’s also something called a seasonal Blue Moon, which is when a season has four Full Moons instead of the usual three.

When is the next full moon?

The next Full Moon will take place on June 29.

What are the lunar phases?

The Moon goes through eight phases as it orbits Earth over about 29 and a half days. At each point, the Sun lights up a different part of it from our perspective, even though we always see the same side. As it moves along its path, the lit portion grows and shrinks, shifting from full brightness to partial glow and back again.The phases are:

• New Moon — The moon is between Earth and the sun, so the side we see is dark (so, we don't see anything).

• Waxing Crescent — A small sliver of light appears on the right side

• First Quarter — Half of the moon is lit on the right side. It looks like a half-moon.

• Waxing Gibbous — More than half is lit up, but it’s not quite full yet.

• Full Moon — The whole face of the moon is illuminated and fully visible.

• Waning Gibbous — The moon starts losing light on the right side

• Third Quarter (or Last Quarter) — Another half-moon, but now the left side is lit.

• Waning Crescent — A thin sliver of light remains on the left side before going dark again.

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The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a good head on your shoulders.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that's captured the public's attention. The game is all about finding the "common threads between words." And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we've served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today's puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today's Connections solution. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?

The NYT's latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications' Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there's only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 30, 2026 Here's a hint for today's Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

• Yellow: Not happening

• Green: Reasonable

• Blue: Keyboard symbols

• Purple: Famous tunes

Here are today's Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today's connections fall into the following categories:

• Yellow: "In your dreams"

• Green: Sensible

• Blue: Typographical symbols

• Purple: Song of the Year nominees at the first Grammy Awards

Looking for Wordle today? Here's the answer to today's Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today's puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today's Connections #1084 is...

What is the answer to Connections today

• "In your dreams": IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY

• Sensible: CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND

• Typographical symbols: BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE

• Song of the Year nominees at the first Grammy Awards: FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 30, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today's puzzle.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Connections.

Today's NYT Strands hints are easy if you're dependable.

Strands, the New York Times' elevated word-search game, requires the player to perform a twist on the classic word search. Words can be made from linked letters — up, down, left, right, or diagonal, but words can also change direction, resulting in quirky shapes and patterns. Every single letter in the grid will be part of an answer. There's always a theme linking every solution, along with the "spangram," a special, word or phrase that sums up that day's theme, and spans the entire grid horizontally or vertically.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

By providing an opaque hint and not providing the word list, Strands creates a brain-teasing game that takes a little longer to play than its other games, like Wordle and Connections.

If you're feeling stuck or just don't have 10 or more minutes to figure out today's puzzle, we've got all the NYT Strands hints for today's puzzle you need to progress at your preferred pace.

SEE ALSO: Wordle today: Answer, hints for May 30, 2026 NYT Strands hint for today’s theme: We'll be there

The words are related to traits.

Today’s NYT Strands theme plainly explained

These words describe positive characteristics.

NYT Strands spangram hint: Is it vertical or horizontal?

Today's NYT Strands spangram is horizontal.

NYT Strands spangram answer today

Today's spangram is Good Friends.

NYT Strands word list for May 30

• Reliable

• Loyal

• Good Friends

• Helpful

• Caring

• Trustworthy

Looking for other daily online games? Mashable's Games page has more hints, and if you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now!

Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Strands.

Today's Wordle answer should be easy to solve if you're always in a good mood.

If you just want to be told today's word, you can jump to the bottom of this article for today's Wordle solution revealed. But if you'd rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable SEE ALSO: NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 30, 2026 Where did Wordle come from?

Originally created by engineer Josh Wardle as a gift for his partner, Wordle rapidly spread to become an international phenomenon, with thousands of people around the globe playing every day. Alternate Wordle versions created by fans also sprang up, including battle royale Squabble, music identification game Heardle, and variations like Dordle and Quordle that make you guess multiple words at once. 

Wordle eventually became so popular that it was purchased by the New York Times, and TikTok creators even livestream themselves playing.

What's the best Wordle starting word?

The best Wordle starting word is the one that speaks to you. But if you prefer to be strategic in your approach, we have a few ideas to help you pick a word that might help you find the solution faster. One tip is to select a word that includes at least two different vowels, plus some common consonants like S, T, R, or N.

What happened to the Wordle archive?

The entire archive of past Wordle puzzles was originally available for anyone to enjoy whenever they felt like it, but it was later taken down, with the website's creator stating it was done at the request of the New York Times. However, the New York Times then rolled out its own Wordle Archive, available only to NYT Games subscribers.

Is Wordle getting harder?

It might feel like Wordle is getting harder, but it actually isn't any more difficult than when it first began. You can turn on Wordle's Hard Mode if you're after more of a challenge, though.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for May 30, 2026 Here's a subtle hint for today's Wordle answer:

To grin.

Does today's Wordle answer have a double letter?

There are no recurring letters.

Today's Wordle is a 5-letter word that starts with...

Today's Wordle starts with the letter S.

SEE ALSO: Wordle-obsessed? These are the best word games to play IRL. The Wordle answer today is...

Get your last guesses in now, because it's your final chance to solve today's Wordle before we reveal the solution.

Drumroll please!

The solution to today's Wordle is...

SMILE

Don't feel down if you didn't manage to guess it this time. There will be a new Wordle for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we'll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today's Strands.

Reporting by Chance Townsend, Caitlin Welsh, Sam Haysom, Amanda Yeo, Shannon Connellan, Cecily Mauran, Mike Pearl, and Adam Rosenberg contributed to this article.

If you're looking for more puzzles, Mashable's got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you're after? Here's the solution to yesterday's Wordle.

TL;DR: Elevate your commutes and workouts with the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones, on sale now for $87.97 (reg. $199.99) through May 31.

Opens in a new window Credit: Beats by Dre Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones - Warm White (Open Box) $87.97
$199.99 Save $112.02   Get Deal

If you don’t just listen to playlists but live in them, the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones are for you. These re-engineered headphones deliver premium sound with an expansive sound range and an impressive 50-hour battery, so you don’t have to miss a beat.

Right now, you can score a pair of these premium headphones for just $87.97 through May 31.

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Music lovers know that a basic pair of headphones won’t cut it. The Beats Solo 4 deliver audio brilliance, extraordinary clarity, and an expansive sound range thanks to custom-built 40-mm transducers, all worthy of your excellent taste in music.

Personalized Spatial Audio lets you immerse yourself in the tunes, while dynamic head tracking and built-in gyroscopes surround you with sound, giving you the effect of being surrounded by 64 speakers at once, whether you’re in line at the grocery store or on your morning commute.

A built-in Digital-to-Analog Converter also provides high-resolution lossless audio, and if you want more texture, you can connect via a USB-C cable or a 3.5mm audio cable.

Enjoy an impressive 50 hours of battery life and Bluetooth 5.3, which offers extended range and fewer dropouts.

Aside from offering premium sound, the Beats Solo 4 also provide a premium wearing experience that keeps up with that battery life. They’re ultralight, weighing just 217 grams, and the UltraPlush ear cushions and ergonomic design offer unparalleled comfort and fit.

You’re saving big on these headphones because they’re open-box. That means they were likely excess inventory from store shelves, but have undergone a verification process to ensure they’re still in new condition and are placed in clean packaging.

Score the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones for $87.97 now through May 31.

StackSocial prices subject to change.

TL;DR: Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League final for free on RTÉ Player. Access this free streaming platform from anywhere in the world with ExpressVPN.

The Champions League final is here. The Premier League champions face off against Ligue 1's best side in what promises to be an absolutely epic contest.

PSG have been here before. They come into this final as defending champions, but they know they'll need to be at their absolute best to fend off Mikel Arteta's determined side. After some moments of doubt in recent weeks, it feels like Arsenal are back in their groove and on course to do something truly special this season.

If you want to watch PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League final from anywhere in the world, we have all the information you need.

When is PSG vs. Arsenal?

PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League final kicks off at 12 p.m. ET on May 30. This fixture takes place at the Puskás Aréna.

How to watch PSG vs. Arsenal for free

PSG vs. Arsenal is available to live stream for free on RTÉ Player.

RTÉ Player is geo-restricted to Ireland, but anyone can access this free streaming platform with a VPN. These tools can hide your real IP address (digital location) and connect you to a secure server in Ireland, meaning you can unblock RTÉ Player to stream the Champions League final for free from anywhere in the world.

Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal for free by following these simple steps:

1. Subscribe to a streaming-friendly VPN (like ExpressVPN)

2. Download the app to your device of choice (the best VPNs have apps for Windows, Mac, iOS, Android, Linux, and more)

3. Open up the app and connect to a server in Ireland

4. Visit RTÉ Player

5. Watch PSG vs. Arsenal for free from anywhere in the world

Opens in a new window Credit: ExpressVPN ExpressVPN (1-Month Plan) $12.95 only at ExpressVPN (with money-back guarantee) Get Deal

The best VPNs for streaming are not free, but most do offer free-trials or money-back guarantees. By leveraging these offers, you can access free live streams of the Champions League final without actually spending anything. This obviously isn't a long-term solution, but it does give you enough time to stream PSG vs. Arsenal before recovering your investment.

If you want to retain permanent access to the best free streaming services from around the world, you'll need a subscription. Fortunately, the best VPN for streaming live sport is on sale for a limited time.

What is the best VPN for RTÉ Player?

ExpressVPN is the best choice for bypassing geo-restrictions to stream live sport on RTÉ Player, for a number of reasons:

• Servers in 105 countries including Ireland

• Easy-to-use app available on all major devices including iPhone, Android, Windows, Mac, and more

• Strict no-logging policy so your data is secure

• Fast connection speeds free from throttling

• Up to 10 simultaneous connections

• 30-day money-back guarantee

A two-year subscription to ExpressVPN is on sale for $68.40 and includes an extra four months for free — 81% off for a limited time. This plan includes a year of free unlimited cloud backup and a generous 30-day money-back guarantee. Alternatively, you can get a one-month plan for just $12.99 (with money-back guarantee).

Live stream PSG vs. Arsenal in the Champions League final for free with ExpressVPN.

Chicken Shop Date has seen host Amelia Dimoldenberg flirting with some serious names over the last 10 years, from Billie Eilish to Keke Palmer, SZA to Cher. Her latest illustrious guest? Sir Paul McCartney.

Having recently closed out The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, the music legend and Beatle is hitting the press circuit to promote his new album, The Boys of Dungeon Lane. On Friday, he headed for the titular chicken shop, where Dimoldenberg asked him the tough questions.

Notably, McCartney's in the same seat where Dimoldenberg previously interviewed Paul Mescal, who's playing the Beatle in Sam Mendes' upcoming biopic.

McCartney's no stranger to buzzy British web series and podcasts, appearing on Jessie Ware's Table Manners, Marina Hyde and Richard Osman's The Rest Is Entertainment, and Tom Holland's The Rest Is History.

Want more of the latest entertainment news, reviews, trailers, and interviews? Sign up for Mashable's Top Stories newsletter.

Check out the six most compelling new Acer machines at the show: TravelMates, Predators, Nitros, Aspires, and more! (Spoiler: Hope you like 18-inch laptops...)

Best Anker chargers you can shop right now: Best budget deal Anker Nano (47W) $19.49 (save $10.50) Get Deal Best desktop charger deal Anker Desktop Charger (112W) $33.99 (save $6) Get Deal Best wall charger deal Anker USB Charger (67W) $34.99 (save $15) Get Deal

If you're still hoarding a drawer full of charging bricks, it's probably time to let them go (I'm a Millennial too, so I get it). There's really no reason to have so many blocks when you can buy one or two do-it-all chargers and just be done with it. Then you can use that drawer for other junk, like old receipts you've kept for no reason and Starbucks straws, because, you know, just in case.

Right now, Amazon's got a ton of Anker fast chargers on sale. Here are the best deals to grab before the weekend's over.

Best budget deal Anker Nano (47W) $19.49 at Amazon
$29.99 Save $10.50   Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

This tiny Anker Nano plug has two USB-C ports and folds down flat, so it won't cover the entire outlet or crowd your bag when you travel. It delivers 47W of power, so even though it's tiny, it can still charge your phone and your tablet at the same time.

Right now, you can get it for $19.49, down from $29.99, at Amazon. That’s a 35% discount or about $10.50 in savings.

Best desktop charger deal Anker Desktop Charger (112W) $33.99 at Amazon
$39.99 Save $6   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Amazon Why we like it

If your desk is covered in wires, this heavy-duty block offers a quick fix. It splits a 112W of power across six separate outlets (three USB-C and three USB-A) so you can power your entire workspace from one wall plug. It even comes with a little silicone cable organizer so everything stays in one spot instead of sliding off the back of your desk.

Right now, you can get it for $33.99, down from $39.99, at Amazon. That’s a 15% discount or $6 in savings.

Best wall charger deal Anker USB Charger (67W) $34.99 at Amazon
$49.99 Save $15   Get Deal at Amazon Get Deal at Walmart Why we like it

This is the one to throw in your laptop bag if you hate carrying around three separate bricks for your computer, phone, and headphones. It gives you two USB-C ports and one classic USB-A port, and it's basically half the size of a standard MacBook charger block.

Right now, you can get it for $34.99, down from $49.99, at Amazon. That’s a 30% discount or $15 in savings.

More Anker charger deals

• Anker Smart Display Charger (45W) — $27.99 $39.99 (save $12)

• Anker Phone Charger (65W) — $29.99 $39.99 (save $10)

• Anker Prime Charger (100W) — $39.98 $69.99 (save $30.01)

• Anker MacBook Pro Charger (140W) — $64.99 $89.99 (save $25)

Move over, OpenAI. There's a new leader in the AI industry.

Anthropic announced on Thursday that it had raised $65 billion in funding from investors led by Altimeter Capital, Greenoaks, Dragoneer, and Sequoia Capital.

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This fundraising round puts Anthropic's valuation at nearly one trillion dollars, or $965 billion to be exact. OpenAI, long seen as the face of the AI industry after its AI chatbot ChatGPT was launched, was last valued at $852 billion back in March. According to the New York Times, the new valuation makes Anthropic the most valuable privately held AI company in the world (companies like NVIDIA and Google have surpassed the $1 trillion mark).

Anthropic has now usurped OpenAI in the AI race when it comes to valuation — and revenue too.

In addition to the fundraising round, Anthropic announced that the company hit a $47 billion revenue run rate earlier this month. 

As CNBC points out, that’s up from Anthropic's $30 billion run rate earlier this year and $10 billion in annual revenue last year.

Earlier this week, The Information reported that OpenAI's annualized revenue run rate is around $30 billion. Anthropic's $47 billion revenue run rate is roughly 35 percent more than OpenAI's. This is certainly not the most ideal news to drop for OpenAI right before the company's planned IPO.

SEE ALSO: Anthropic sues Pentagon as Claude downloads soar

“Claude is increasingly indispensable to our growing global community of customers, and we work tirelessly to make tools like Claude Code and Cowork more helpful, more powerful, and more adaptable to their needs,” said Anthropic CFO Krishna Rao in a statement. “This funding will help us serve the historic demand we are experiencing, stay at the research frontier, and bring Claude to more of the places where work happens.”

So, how did this happen? It appears that OpenAI has had more of a focus on ChatGPT subscriptions from everyday consumers, whereas Anthropic has positioned Claude as a leading developer tool for businesses with products like their agentic coding assistant, Claude Code. Based on Anthropic's revenue and valuation, their business model with its AI assistant Claude seems to be working better than the competitors. 

Are you an Apple superfan? Enter Mashable’s Big Guessing Game to win prizes.

Google just launched a fascinating-looking new Fitbit health tracker, but it's a little different from the ones you might be used to.

That's because the $99 Fitbit Air doesn't have a screen, instead opting for a combination of a mobile app and an AI coach to meet your health tracking needs. While Mashable's review is still in the works and will be ready soon, reviews for the device from other professional critics came out this week, so let's dive in and see what they had to say. Is it time to upgrade from your old Fitbit, or should you stick with something that has a screen?

Google Fitbit Air screenless fitness tracker $99.99 at Amazon
  Shop Now at Amazon Fitbit Air review roundup: No screen needed

Without dancing around the point, let's establish up front that almost every review of the Fitbit Air is a positive one. Despite some grumbling from long-time Fitbit users on Reddit about the Google Health app, early users really like the Fitbit Air so far.

Critics overall enjoyed the device's sleek form factor and health-tracking capabilities, though a few had nitpicks here and there. One thing to understand right away, though, is that the Fitbit Air at $99 (with an additional $99/yr subscription to unlock every Google Health app feature) is substantially cheaper than the latest Whoop tracker, which is an obvious inspiration for Fitbit's new device.

The Whoop fitness tracker comes as part of a subscription that starts at $149/yr, so Google's option is a definitive win in terms of value, and critics certainly noted that. In addition, Gemini superusers who already subscribe to Google AI Pro or AI Ultra receive complimentary access to the Google Health app, so no additional subscription is required.

SEE ALSO: I ran the NYC Marathon wearing 7 fitness trackers and they all watched me throw up

Beyond price, it sounds like the Fitbit Air mostly nails the crucial things you'd want it to nail, like comfort. Like any other Fitbit device, it offers a wide variety of band styles to choose from, which will mostly come down to personal taste. Andrew Gebhart of PCMag had kind things to say about the polyester-based Performance Loop band.

"The Performance Loop covers the sensor, so I never felt the need to take any precautions when lifting weights, and the device never got in my way," Gebhart wrote. "By contrast, I’d often have to reposition the Oura Ring for comfort, or shift the screen of a smartwatch to protect the display, when lifting weights. The Active Band offers even more protection, but the Performance Loop is durable enough for all everyday activities."

Since the Fitbit Air doesn't have a display, it relies entirely on the Google Health mobile app for tracking health, adjusting settings, or doing literally anything else you'd need a screen for. This has certainly ruffled some feathers online, particularly those belonging to longtime Fitbit users who preferred the older Fitbit app. But critics like Engadget's Cherlynn Low found the Google Health app pretty easy to use, with a home page that does a good job of displaying pertinent information for the user.

Looks comfy. Credit: Google

If you choose to pay the subscription fee, you'll unlock access to an AI coach within the app, which is one of the Fitbit Air's other defining features. It's functionally similar to automatically generated progress reports in other fitness apps, but now you can make requests of it in natural language via a chatbot interface. At Engadget, Low acknowledged that the AI coach can occasionally be a little buggy or insensitive regarding things like disordered eating, but found that it's generally decent at basic tracking and health guidance.

"For example, it used to be nearly impossible to ask an app to log 'the same cup of muesli and milk I had yesterday' and get the desired results. Thanks to its Gemini powers, the AI Coach did exactly what I asked, looking at my log history for the brands I specified and simply adding them to my data for the right day," Low wrote. "Of course, it was not perfect and occasionally I had to correct it. But by and large I found it easy to get the Coach to do basic things like tracking my nutrition and activity."

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Of course, there are some basic issues with the screenless tracker that are worth addressing. One thing you get if you choose to pay more for a Whoop tracker is better battery life. Contemporary Whoop trackers are rated for about 14 days of life on a charge, but every reviewer I read only managed to get roughly seven or eight days out of the Fitbit Air. It apparently charges quickly, so it shouldn't be a huge issue, but that's worth noting anyway.

One last thing to note, courtesy of CNET's Vanessa Hand Orellana, is that the Fitbit Air is significantly worse at being a watch than any other Fitbit model. Orellana liked the device overall, but made the very important observation that its form factor has real limitations.

"I've lost count of how many times I've glanced down at my wrist expecting to see the time, only to be met with a blank band staring back at me like, 'What?,'" Orellana wrote. "Between that and the fact that it couldn't ping my phone, there were moments the Fitbit Air felt like it was freeloading on my wrist."

If you want a watch, you should probably get something with a screen. If that doesn't matter to you, the Fitbit Air might be worth a try.

The new Google Fitbit Air is available now from Google, Amazon, and other retailers for $99.99.

Disclosure: PCMag, CNET, and Mashable are owned by the same parent company, Ziff Davis.